GREEN LAKE -- “Happy Marriages, Happy Families” is the theme of the Couple to Couple League (CCL) international convention to be held at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake August 8 to 12, 2010.

The CCL is an international, Catholic, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and teaching Natural Family Planning (NFP) to married and engaged couples. Services are provided by professionally-trained volunteers who are supported by a relatively small staff at the international headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

CCL convention

CCL hosts a convention every two years. It is a popular event among CCL volunteers and members. It has always been a family-centered gathering, with a full schedule of age-appropriate activities for children alongside a solid lineup of main talks and workshops for the adults.

The convention provides an opportunity for NFP teachers to receive continuing education and to be inspired to continue their apostolate of teaching NFP.

However, the convention is open to anyone: individuals, married couples, and families. There is even a special day for priests and one for young adults.

“This is a great convention to learn about the Church’s teachings on marriage and family life,” said Mary T. Meade of Monona. She and her husband Howie are CCL chapter coordinators for Chapter 882 in the Diocese of Madison.

Outstanding speakers

The convention will include many outstanding speakers. The special guest and keynote speaker will be Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Other speakers will include:

• Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, Diocese of Lexington, Ky.

• Mike Manhart, CCL executive director.

• Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V., Ph.D, the first superior of the Sisters of Life.

• Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

There will be many other speakers as well as break-out sessions on Natural Family Planning and related topics.

There will be a special clergy day on Tuesday, Aug. 10. The first four priests to sign up for the entire convention can get free registration for the whole convention.

Teaching couples

Mary Mead said there are three CCL NFP teaching couples in the Diocese of Madison and one candidate teaching couple. “We hope to be adding to the numbers of candidate teaching couples in the future,” she said.

All teaching couples are volunteers, so the local CCL chapter hopes to raise funds to help pay for teachers to attend the convention.

For more information

For more information on the convention, go to the CCL Web site at www.ccli.org and click in the upper right hand corner on “CCL Convention 2010, Find out More.” Registration is only available online.